Related

Last night, the world bid farewell to the Eleventh Doctor during a special Christmas episode of Doctor Who.

The chain of events that lead to the regeneration of the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) kicked off when he responded to a mysterious signal emanating from a town called Christmas. During an action-packed episode filled with Daleks, Time Lords, Cybermen, Weeping Angels and a mysterious crack in the wall, the show ushered in the era of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor.

The Doctor bid farewell to his companions new Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald and old — Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) made a surprise appearance to say goodbye to the Doctor, resulting in the phrase “Raggedy Man” to trend worldwide on Twitter — before signing off with the words, “I will always remember when the Doctor was me.” In a beautifully symbolic moment, the Doctor’s iconic bow tie dropped to the floor and, in a flash, the Twelfth Doctor appeared in the TARDIS.

“Just one question,” said the new Doctor to Clara, as the TARDIS spun out of control. “Do you happen to know how to fly this thing?” That moment of classic Doctor wit is all we get until Season 8, which premieres sometime in 2014.

The regeneration of the Doctor is always a dramatic moment in the show’s long history. While this go-round wasn’t as emotionally intense as David Tennant’s tearjerking farewell as the Tenth Doctor, it tugged at the heart strings to watch Smith bid farewell to the role that has thus far defined his career.

I was emotionally devastated by Tennant's departure. I miss the Davies days. Every episode had massive feels in it. Moffat just...doesn't have that. I was never able to get attached to his characters like I did to Davies'. I was never that upset when they took off or disappeared. But...I will miss Smith. He's a fantastic actor and did a great job portraying the ravaged and emotionally traumatized Doctor that 10 transformed into.